I bought one on a whim, as one of the major online retailers had them on steep discount due to them being discontinued. Went into it without any particular expectations, which always helps, and this axe has really impressed me.

I generally prefer light-colored guitars, but have quickly grown accustomed to this matte black. I don't usually care for strat shapes, but gotta love the comfort of the belly and forearm carves. Oh, and reverse headstocks on certain body shapes (like this superstrat) are badass- I have a BC Rich Warlock with a standard inline 6, and it's just all kinds of wrong. Great guitar, though.

Didn't have any problem with the single pickup, because I have plenty of two-pickup guitars- and, embarrassingly, I didn't even realize this had a coil split/tap on the volume pot for about a month 😅. It's also my only FR-equipped guitar, so can be fun, but there is a minor issue with the lower strings when doing a deep dive, the locking nut slots still allow those strings to move slightly. So I usually leave the bar off for tuning stability- it's easier to resist the temptation to dive-bomb if I can't actually use it.

But what I love, absolutely thoroughly enjoy, is the neck. Love the satin finish on the back of the neck, love the baby's-ass smoothness of the ebony fingerboard, and most surprisingly of all love the slim profile as I usually prefer PRS-style chunkier necks. My hand does get a little fatigued, but nowhere near as much as on my Warlock's Shredzilla neck.

So... not much use for people reading this as these particular models are no longer manufactured, but if I ever seek another guitar designed primarily for metal, I will definitely check out ESP LTDs with a similar neck profile.

Bought this guitar & received it yesterday. Amazing! Love every feature about this guitar. Will buy another one the the other Black Metal guitars. 

Just showed up in the mail. A quality one-trick pony. Works out well, as I myself am a one-trick death/grind pony who rarely messes with a bridge pu, toggle or tone control. The stainless steel frets are superb straight from the factory. The simplicity in design and quality parts on this guitar are a breath of fresh air for someone like me. Rarely do I buy a brand new instrument, which is typically followed by an expensive, high-end pickup installation and various other extensive setup efforts. I have no upgrade plans for this. It doesn't need anything. The black winter pickup is every bit as brutal as the Bare Knuckle Nailbomb in my Ibanez. But the Black winter has an element to it that is distinctly different and desirable for playing death/grind metal. The coil split is fun but I'll never use that either. I've seen reviews of this indicating it weights a bit more than expected, but its only a few more oz than my RG. Not too much drag on the volume knob, which I use all the time to keep that organic burst of feedback before and after 30 sec songs. I realize this is a particularity, but I'm strongly against volume pedals and gates. They serve little purpose in grind metal. Also, I was able to re-string this with 60's, truss and intonation adjust in under an hour - A sign of a decent instrument (I'm no tech).  I know this is one of the thinnest neck shapes LTD has. As close to the Ibanez Wizard you'll get. If I had one wish, it would be for the neck to be as thin as the Wizard. Probably a patent violation if it was! I knew what I was getting myself into, and for that I'll be keeping my Ibanez close by. But this plays very fast and effortless I might ruffle some feathers here, but I bought it straight from the factory. Guitar and matching ESP HS case both in stock, came with a bag of goodies and free shipping. No wild goose chase! ESP USA was super responsive with replies to my Q's within about 1 hour per inquiry. For once in my life, I spend a lot of money on something with ZERO regrets.

These are fantastic; I have had two students who bought them, and they are the best value in guitar for the aspiring musician. 

I have this onefor my Grindcore band, but my dream is to have this one with 81/85 pickups for my Thrash Band

This finish, 81 + 85 Pickups + only one knob + Floyd ....... the perfect guitar for me .